Megalynarion

The term megalynarion is used in English to refer to three types of hymnography that have no relationship between them.

In Byzantine practice, a megalynarion is a short hymn for the saint of the day or the feast that is sung after "Among the first..." This type of megalynarion is also used during other services, such as a Paraclesis.

In Slavic practice, a megalynarion is a hymn that is is sung at the end of the Polyeleos, which usually begins with "We magnify..." In Slavonic, this type of hymn is called a velichaniye. Another common term in English used for this type of hymn is "magnification".

In both Byzantine and Slavic practice, the term "megalynarion" is also used to refer to hymn that is sung at the the Divine Liturgy, just after the consecration of the Holy Gifts.

The most common megalynarion is the one used at the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, when it is not a feast of the Lord, or of the Theotokos:

It is truly meet to bless thee, O Theotokos,

wver blessed and most blameless and the Mother of our God:

More honourable than the Cherubim,

and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim,

who without corruption gave birth to God the Word,

true Theotokos, we magnify thee.

In Slavonic, the hymns that replace "It is truly meet..." are called "Zadostoinik", which means "Instead of "It is truly meet"". These hymns come from the refrain and Irmos of the 9th Ode of the Canon of the Feast, which is sung at Matins / Orthros. Some English speaking Orthodox prefer to use this term to distinguish it from the other types of hymns that are also refered to as "megalynarion".